We Appreciate the Appointment of Zorro

Media Release

We’ve received with delight the appointment of a former President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Muhammad Sani Zorro as the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs and Strategy, Office of the First Lady.

Zorro, who was the first Nigerian to occupy the office of President of West African Journalists Association, WAJA, is assuming office from a background of a distinguished journalism career spanning 40 years.

We therefore call on him to consider his appointment as a clarion call to continue his distinguished service to the NUJ and the Journalism profession.

Zorro served the Federal Government as a Special Assistant (Media & Communications) to the Minister of Finance/National Planning [2007 – 2009], and as a Senior Special Assistant [SSA] in the presidency [2010 – 2011]. He represented his Federal Constituency, Gumel/Gagarawa/ Maigatari/Sule Tankarkar Federal Constituency of Jigawa State on the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC [2015 – 2019] during which he chaired the Committee on IDPs, Refugees, Migrants and Federal Government Initiatives on the North-East. He also served as a member of the Committee on National Intelligence and Public Safety, among others. He was one of the NUJ Representatives to the Constitutional Conference, 2014.

As a parliamentarian with oversight responsibility in the humanitarian sector, his passion for the assignment inspired his keen interest in security studies. Zorro attended various programmes on the Law of Armed Conflict [LOAC], including Rule of Engagement [ROE], Refugee Law, The Legal Rights of Journalists covering armed conflicts and others at the Institute of Humanitarian Law, Sanremo, Italy.

His core interest is in exploring the intersection between the media and national security at their points of convergence, and as critical national institutions in the service of the nation-state. He is an advocate of the integration of security studies in the curriculum of Mass Communication programmes of tertiary institutions.

The Nigeria Union of Journalists is further pleased with the choice of its one time National President for this assignment and it is our considered opinion that he will perform his duties creditably.

Chris Isiguzo
National President
13-02-2022